Head girl
by Minne-My
Summary: Bernie meets Fleur's schoolgirl crush
1. Chapter 1

'You look nice' Bernie observed.

Fleur preened herself in her hand mirror.

'Meeting a schoolmate of mine.'

'Oh yes?'

'Serena McKinnie. Haven't seen her in 30 odd years. Became a vascular surgeon, very distinguished. Married someone in the medical field, unfortunate spawning occurred. Divorced his philandering arse thank goodness. Leaving the way for me.'

Bernie snorted with laughter.

'You can't possibly think she'd be interested in you just because she got divorced?'

'Why not? Worked with you.' Fleur winked. Bernie blushed. She was never going to live down last year's Christmas party snog.

'It didn't and we were drunk.'

'If you say so.'

Bernie sighed. Fleur was incorrigible. She had a knack for rapidly picking up on people's life stories and kindly exploiting them. Bernie was also divorced with kids but she had no wish to see any of her old schoolmates. She was a disgrace as far as her ex-husband and his family were concerned.

Fleur looked at the time.

'Don't scare her off too soon.'

'Ha! Head girl at St Winnifred's. Highly fanciable. Not easily scared off if I recall correctly.'

Fleur had an excellent memory.

'Didn't you have a crush on the head girl or the sports captain at school?'

Bernie hadn't.

'If you'd seen the girls in my school…well, I don't think even you would have fancied them.'

'Hmmmm.'

Fleur found something fanciable about most women.

'You'd struggle, believe me.'

'I bet I'd find at least one.'

'Fleur Fanshawe. You haven't changed a bit.'

They looked round to see a vision in a designer outfit. Bernie was struck by that honeyed voice. She liked the look of St Winnie's former head girl very much.

'Dr McKinnie! You look fabulous.'

'That's a formality I haven't heard in eons. Although I do sign up to porn sites with that name.'

Bernie's honk of laughter drowned out their cackles and they both looked at her in delight.

'Sorry.'

'Bernie, this is Serena, Serena, this is Bernie Wolfe, colleague of mine.'

They shook hands. Bernie liked Serena's subversive humour and sparkling eyes but this was Fleur's time. She hastily said hello and goodbye and fled to the other side of the room to scroll through her phone. She hadn't realised how easy it was to hear from there.

'You work with her?'

'My co-lead. Divorced. Good kisser.'

'As am I. What a fabulous laugh.'

'I was rather hoping you'd be interested in talking to _me_ , Ms McKinnie' Fleur pouted.

'I'm talking to you aren't I? Introduce me to her later. Tell me what you've been up to. And don't act coy with me. I know what you're after.'

Bernie wondered if middle aged women were more lesbian inclined than she'd originally thought. Who knew that there were so many hidden in plain view? She got up and left and tried to push the thought from her mind with limited success.

Fleur and Serena talked for a few hours, reminiscing and catching up. At the end of it, Fleur heaved a despondent sigh knowing that they wouldn't be re-enacting the illicit snog they had all those years ago at midnight, defying curfew with smuggled cider with the hockey team.

Bernie reappeared when numbers were exchanged. She saw Serena tuck a note into her bra (oh dear, Bernie was in trouble, there was a flash of lace) and graciously started to leave once Fleur had stopped pawing at her. She turned around and saw Bernie standing there watching them. She winked at her and strode out to the sound of Fleur's bawdy laughter. Bernie knew she was blushing.

Bernie berated herself for acting like a teen crush. Fleur clapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to their office.

'She liked you' she remarked.

'She barely met me.'

'She wanted to know about you and you'll be hearing from her.'

'What do you mean?'

'Do you think that was _my_ number she tucked away? She's already got mine. I gave her yours, you silly goose.'

Oh help.


	2. Chapter 2

'Tell me about yourself then.'

Serena made sure to drag out the story of Bernie's life, including her divorce and late in life sexual awakening. She had a remarkable gift for it. Hesitant at first, Bernie gave in and told her everything, growing more confident as the evening wore on and Serena listened intently. Serena was the kind of person she'd always wanted to get to know; her company gave her a reckless thrill, from the complimentary service she'd received as Serena's date to the secret shimmer of excitement she felt watching her weave her charm. There was something so decadent about her, a manner that Bernie had denied herself all her life. Being with her brought out Bernie's naughty side.

'I saw you and heard that ridiculous laugh and I thought that I must try and engage you in some way. You're just too wonderful to pass up. I enjoy Fleur's kind of company but she's not someone I can seriously pursue. We'd never last. We're too alike.'

'So that sneaky kiss after curfew meant nothing to you?' Bernie teased.

'Oh she told you about that did she? Well it was exceedingly fun but we both got our kicks with others in the end. My permanent choice backfired on me. The older I get, the less fun men get. I'm glad to have the option to fall back on my earlier sapphic days. I certainly feel younger and less irritable with women.'

'She had a huge crush on you.' Bernie's wine-soaked state was getting out of hand but she enjoyed being reckless. She hadn't been in such a long time.

'I didn't realise she still thought of me so fondly. But she's never done anything by half measures, always has to be more flamboyant than everyone else.'

'More than you?'

'Absolutely. She's blazed through life in a cloud of rainbow sparkles. She's made things happen, got what she wanted. Left us all in the dust.'

She wasn't wrong. But Serena didn't strike Bernie as someone who had to learn her confidence. She said as much. Serena laughed delightedly and confessed that she had to work at it sometimes. She'd never been shy but several knocks in her life had made her doubt herself and feel like she was never good enough.

'If you know what it feels like, it's always there. Always ready and waiting in a corner to lash out at you.'

'I know what you mean.'

Having broken through to peer under the surface, the atmosphere between them shifted to a more intimate pace. At the end of the night, Serena didn't hold back on telling Bernie how much she wanted to see her again.

Bernie stuttered adorkably in agreeing. She felt a strong hand clasp her shoulder as Serena kissed her goodnight. Very lingeringly. With tongues. Bernie thought she might faint.

'Well, I don't think that was on the school curriculum' she nervously joked when they surfaced for air.

'You are actually adorable. How about you escort me home?'

'So you can ask me in for coffee?' Countered Bernie. She was starting to figure out how this game worked.

'Bingo. You _are_ a quick learner.' Bernie basked in Serena's appreciation.

They made it to Serena's house; they made it into the kitchen, they even made coffee but they never drank it because they were too busy ending their night up in the bedroom on Serena's luxurious double bed.

'That definitely wasn't on the school curriculum' panted Bernie, on a comedown for the third time that night.

Serena stuttered out a laugh and laced their fingers together. She'd never met anyone like Bernie and she was intending to keep her.

'You two. Couple goals' Fleur commented enviously when she managed to winkle out the events of that night from a blushing Bernie.

Whatever that was, Bernie liked the sound of it.


End file.
